Corn-planter



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(N0 Model.)

UORN PLANTER'.

Patented Mar. 3, 1896.

(No Model.) l 2 snetsV-sheet'z, E.` E. TOWLE` CORN PLANTER.

No. 555,749. i Patented Mar. s; 1896.

ANDRZW B.GRAHAM. PHOTO-UMQWASHIN GTON, D C

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ELMER E. TOIVLE, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE I-IOOSIER DRILL COMPANY, OF INDIANA.

CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,749, dated March 3, 1896. l

Serial No. 571,172. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER ELLswon'rH TOWLE, residing at Richmond, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Planters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of cornplanters which employ a main wheel-frame to which is hinged a runner-frame.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved hand and foot lever for controlling the runnereframe.

Another object of my invention is to provide improved means `for winding up the check-row wire upon a drum suspended upon the rear end of the frame.

The various features of my invention will be more fully set forth in the description of the accompanying dra\vings,making a part of this speciiication, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of my improve ment. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the foot-lever and guiding-eye. Fig. et is a front elevation, partly in section, of the hand-lever-locking devices. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. G is a plan view, partly in section, of the driving-clutch of the drum-shaft. Fig. 7 is a front elevation ofthe lever connections to the runner-frame. Fig. S is a side eleva* tion of the tongue and guide-eyes.

A represents the ground-wheels supporting the main frame, and d the axle. B represents the main frame supported thereon. C represents the runners; c, the runner-frame; D, the standard; E, the seat for the dropper when the check-rower is not used. These parts are of the usual construction.

b represents an arm rigidly connected to the runner-frame and projected backward. d represents a link pivoted thereto.

c represents a spring coiled around the pin f, one end seated upon a washer g and the other end of the coil in the fork of the limbed link d. To this pin are coupled both the hand and foot levers.

The hand-lever H is hinged to the axial bolt h, which is supported in the forks of the link t', and the foot-lever is pivoted to said link by the axial boltj.I

It is desired' sometimes to use the planter as a rigid planter. In this case the runners are locked in a fixed position by means of the hand-lever and attachments.

It is sometimes desirable to use the planter as a yielding planter, in which case the handlever need not be employed.

I have provided means for releasing the connection of the hand-lever and allowing it to drop back out of the way of the operator.

F represents a segment affixed to the frame of the planter, provided with a series of notches with which the lock-bolt G of the hand-lever engages.

I-I represents the hand-lever.

I represents the lever-arm which connects the hand-lever to the lifting-link t'. In order that this lifting-arm may be readily engaged or disengaged I provide the following devices.

K represents a segment provided with a notch 7c, which is secured to the axis J of the hand lifting-lever I. When the lock-bolt Il engages the notch 7a of the pawl the lever-arm and hand-lever are rigidly locked together. This is done by turning the eccentric lever M. The spring o normally holds the lock-lever doyvn, but when the eccentric lever is turned in the position shown in Fig. 5 the spring has been compressed and the lock-lever Il raised. The operator thus, by turning the eccentric lever M,maylock the hand-lever to the lever-arm or release the same, as desired. The spring f in the link d is employed so that there may be a slight yielding motion to the planter shoes or runners when the handlever is locked to the lever-arm and held to one of the notches of the segment by the bolt G, so as to allow the runners to yield slightly. When the hand-lever is released from engagement with the lever-arm the machine will operate as a yielding planter, and the operator controls the runner-frame by means of the foot-lever N alone, which is hinged to the seat-standard in the usual manner.

It is desirable at times to wind the knotted check-wire upon a drum suspended upon a planter-frame. This requires the guiding of the wire along the face of the drum as it is Wound, which must be under the immediate IOO on the standard D. In order that he may readily perform this oflice as well as guide the team properly, it is desirable to locate the drum centrally and in the rear of the machine. It is also desirable to so control the winding of the wire that it shall not interfere with the horses. I accomplish this result in the following manner.

O P represent brackets secured to the bottom of the tongue, each being provided with a guide-eye through which the wire Q passes.

R represents a guiding footnlever, preferably hinged to a bracket T on the seat-standard and provided with foot-brackets r. The bottom end of the lever is provided with a guide-eye S, through which the wire passes and is directed onto the drum S.

represents stops upon the bracket T to prevent the pendent lever R from swinging too far. The sweep of the eye of said lever is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and it corresponds to the length of the drum. The operator, by placing his foot upon the stirru ps or brackets r, guides the wire so as to distribute it evenly upon the drum.

It is desirable that the drum should not be positively driven at all times, because the first coil is smaller than the succeeding coils, and if driven positively the wire would either be taken up too fast or too slow. Hence I employ a friction-clutch to connect the driving-shaft to the wheel of the shaft of the drum, so that the drum-shaft may slip as occasion requires.

U represents a sprocket-wheel upon the axle a, and V the sprocket-wheel for driving the drum-shaft W. (See Fig. 6.)

p p represent the jaws of the friction-clutch which are keyed to the shaft W by the bolt Z. They are pivoted to each other by means of an ear and center, as shown in Fig. G. The forward ends of these jaws are made concave and engage the conical hub 2 of the sprocketwheel V. The opposite ends of said jaws are likewise conical and engage with the conical hub 3 of the set-nut 4. As said nut isturned up said jaws will rock on their center and bear upon the conical hub of the sprocket-wheel. Areverse movement slackens the engagement of the frictionwjaws to the said hub.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the clutch controlled by a spring, but the form shown in Fig. G is superior to the spring-controlled clutch and is the preferred form.

I claimi l. In a corn-planter employing a main frame and a runner-frame pivoted thereto, a handlever journaled upon the main frame in combination with a lifting-arm independently journaled upon the same center and connected to therunner-frame by links and mechanism for locking said parts together to form a rigid planter, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of a lifting-lever, journaled upon the main frame of a corn-planter with a lifting-arm independently journaled upon the same center, a segment rigidly connected to the journal of the lifting-arm, locking mechanism attached to the lifting-lever for locking the same to the lifting-arm segment and locking-lever mechanism on the hand-lever, a segment on the main frame with which the lock-lever of the main lever en gages to form a rigid planter, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of a foot-lever journaled upon the main frame of the planter, a hand-lever and a lifting-arm journaled upon a common center, independent of the footlever, the links t', d, and spring c through which said levers are pivotally connected to the runner-frame, substantially as specified.

4. In combination with a cornnplanter consisting of a main frame with a runner-frame pivotally connected thereto, a drum S journaled centrally upon the rear end of the main frame, in rear of the drivers seat, wire guiding-eyes attached to the under side of the tongue and centrally to the frame and a pendulous swinging guide-lever under control of the operator for directing the wire to the winding-drum, substantially as specified.

5. In a corn-planter, the combination of a winding-drum mounted upon the rear of the frame, a pendulous swinging guide-lever pivoted to the seatstandard and provided with foot-stirrups and having a guide-eye at its lower end, whereby the operator can control the winding of the wire on the drum, substantially as described.

G. In a corn-planter, the combination of a winding-drum j o urn aled upon the main frame and driven by transmitting mechanism from the axle of the main frame, a pendnlous swinging guide-lever pivoted to the seat standard and provided with foot-stirrups and having a guide-eye in its lower end, the wheel V loosely j ournaled upon the axis of the drum, the friction-clutch composed of the pivotal jaws I), I), bearing upon the hub of a set-nut at one end and upon the hub of the `wheel at the other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ELMER E. TOVLE. Witnesses:

S. l-I. J oNns, FRED J. CARR.

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